Rise Of The Dead
by ISeekYouOut
Summary: 3 months gone by and the Winchesters are thrown back into the strange occurences that have picked itself back up in Mystic Falls. With no Castiel by their side to help them, are they in over their heads? *Sequel to Red Moon at Night*
1. Heat of the Moment

**Right, the 1st chp. of the sequel has churned out quick quickly hahaa, but i missed writing. I'm still working on little things...and so on, but hey ho xD I just hope you enjoy this 1st chp. of this new story ^_^ Based around SPN S7 after episode...like..4..or..5...or...6 (don't blame me if i get things wrong in the timeline of SPN, England hasn't aired ANY season 7 episodes yet) & during the summer before TVD S3 just after Stefan left with Klaus.**

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><p>Sams long legs were positioned awkwardly in the passenger seat of the Impala where he had very little room to stretch out. His laptop rested on his knees as he flicked aimlessly through endless web pages. The open window next to him let in a warm summer breeze that ruffled his hair and swept around his neck. A soft muttering of Deans singing just besides him filled the car, along with the stereo that released a toned down, quiet version of Foreigners 'Hot Blooded'.<p>

"_Yeah I'm hot blooded, check it and see_." Dean sang, not off key but not exactly Lou Gramm perfection either. "_Feel the fever burning inside of me_." He wet his lips and looked out of his own open window. Clear blue sky, no looming clouds in sight. The sun hot and beaming. "_Come on baby, do you do more than dance? I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded," _Sam's endless tapping on his laptop keyboard came to a stop. "Find something?" Dean asked, his attention fully drawn back to the open road ahead of him.

"I thought I did, I guess not." Sam sighed, closing his laptop and massaging his temples. "Sorry Dean, I just can't find anything else that might lead us to anymore Leviathans." Dean nodded.

"It's fine, maybe we needed a break from them anyway, hm?" Dean cleared his throat, turning the stereo up a few notches to fill the gaps of silence.

"I guess so." Dean felt his phone buzzing in his pocket before he heard the catchy beat of his ringtone. "Want me to get it for you?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head and fished his cell out of his jean pocket, looking at the called I.D. "You really need to change your ringtone aswell Dean, it's outdated now." Sam chuckled.

"Deep Purple never become outdated Sammy." Dean argued back before answering. "Hello?"

"Dean? Dean Winchester?" The tired voice relayed back. Dean frowned.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Dean! It's Alaric Saltzman. You and your brother helped out a few months back with a werewolf case?"

"Saltzman, right! How's everything going? I'm guessing not too good if you're calling up eh?" Dean sighed, turning a corner with one hand on the wheel. Sam watched him, listening in intently to the one sided conversation.

"Well I didn't call to see if you wanted to stop by for Sunday lunch." Alaric replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, couldn't really see you as a housewife cooking type either really. So what do you need?"

"How far are you boys from Mystic Falls exactly?" He questioned.

"About a day if we drive all night." Dean yawned just thinking about it.

"Good, I'll see you boys tomorrow then, breakfast on me." With that Alaric hung up. Dean shooked his head, scoffing and tucking his cell away.

"Un-freakin'-believable."

"Whats up?" Sam asked, resting an arm on the window. "Why're we driving out of Atlanta?"

"Alaric called, thought we might want to join him on a weekend trip to Aspen. Sound good to you?" Dean rolled his eyes at Sams scoff. "He wants us to make it to Mystic Falls. Some important buisness or what not."

"Mystic Falls eh?" Sam mumbled to himself but just loud enough for Dean to hear.

"Yes, the very one. Maybe you and the Wicked Witch of the West could hook up again? Hell I'll throw you in a free bed for you kids to "get jiggy with it". Just as long as it's not in my damn _car_!" Dean hissed, remembering what Sam had done last time with the ever so seductive Katherine Pierce. He quickly glanced into the back seat, motioning to Sam about what he'd done and also glancing in hopes of Cas popping in like he used to do. Dean supressed a sigh.

"Yeah I highly doubt me and Katherine are going to be at it like bunnies first chance we get," Sam smirked and shook his head laughing. "She may not even still be there." His voice trailed off towards the end.

"But she _might_ be there, I may have to lay plastic down for you two." Dean laughed, looking ahead for a service station.

"Right. What about you and Elena huh?" Sam quirked an eyebrow, looking towards his now silent brother. "Thats what I thought."

"There isn't any "Me and Elena" buisness okay? She has a boyfriend, you know that." Dean explained, clearing his throat as he pulled into the nearest service station that declared itself to be _'Pop's Gas&Go'_ on a tacky wooden sign with a gigantic arrow pointing in towards the gas pumps and store, that Dean guessed no doubt carried a typical selection of fast, easy road snacks. Meaning Beef Jerky, Cheetos, Jolly Ranchers and everything else typical teenage boys feasted on. Dean also guessed that_ 'Pop's' _would carry his favourite magazine..."Busty Asian Beauties".

"I know that she has a boyfriend Dean, but that didn't stop _you_ sleeping with her did it?" Sam grinned as he climbed out of the Impala, kicking out his legs to let his muscles stretch. Dean shook his head also climbing out to fill up the half empty tank.

"I was drunk, she was drunk," He shrugged. "And can you blame her? It's me after all." Dean joked, winking at Sam. "Who can resist me?"

"That waitress back in Michigan sure did." Sam laughed as he rolled his shoulders and flexed his neck. "Want me to go in?" He asked, taking out some cash.

"That waitress had the hots for you anyway, didn't you see her going all cougar eyed on you?" Dean laughed, looking at the meter as he finished filling up. "50 bucks should do, right?" Dean took the nozzel out and placed it back. "Bring me back something to eat...I'm starving."

"Aren't you always?" Sam questioned, laughing as he walked towards the small store to pay for the gas. A musical chime of a bell as he walked inside. Dean sat back in the drivers seat, his attention pulled onto the topic of Elena. Again. His mind was fighting out what he _should_ and _shouldn't_ be thinking about her. The rational half of his brian was telling him that she was taken, he was nothing more than a stupid, idiotic fling to her. On the other half of his brain, all he could think about was what she'd be like in bed sober. He couldn't help but smirk a little. Sam ran outside with an armfull of snacks, he dumped them on Deans lap once he was inside the car.

"Happy now Dopey?" Sam asked, shaking his head with a scoff.

"Very." Dean pushed the 'crap food' aside and took out the cassette tape that just finished. Sams jaw clenched and his eyes shut when he heard the same familiar song that he _hated_ come on the radio.

"Turn. It. Off." Sam ordered.

"C'mon, you love this song and you know it." Dean grinned twisting the volume up to it's loudest. _Heat of the moment, it was the heat of the moment_. Sams hands clamped over his ears.

"Dean! I'm warning you! Switch this off." Sam couldn't stand listening to Asia after the big ordeal with what they thought was the Trickster at the time. Waking up over one hundred times to the same, annoying song. Reliving that same Tuesday, watching Dean die over again and listening to this song. Sam swore never to listen to them again and Dean knew it. _Heat of the moment showed in your eyes._ A smirk was plastered on Deans face from ear to ear.

"What was that house rule Sammy?" Dean asked.

"Driver picks the music-" Sam mumbled just as Dean cut him off.

"Shotgun shuts his cakehole! Now...shut your cakehole and enjoy Asia." Dean laughed as he started up the Impala and drove towards Virginia. Sam groaned keeping his hands over his ears until he was sure the song had finally ended.

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><p>"That's not Stefan." Elena denied, shaking her head at Damon. "Stefan wouldn't of done...all of that." Elena swallowed the words, twisting and turning them over her tongue. Stefan couldn't of killed those people. It had to be Klaus, of course it did.<p>

"Think about it Elena. Stefan is with an Original...Originals can compel normal vampires, hasn't the thought crossed your mind that maybe Klaus has compelled Stefan to go around killing these people?" Damon assumed, shifting in the sun lounger in the gigantic back garden of the Salvatore house. The garden stretched for many acres with a magnificent range of wildlife. Tall cherry blossom trees in full bloom, the pink and white flowers reminding Elena of cotton candy. Old looking statues standing on stone plinths, she had guessed they had been there since Damon and Stefan had been born, over 180 years ago. Luscious green shrubs that harboured glistening purple elderberry jewels that caught the sun and sparkled, inviting Elena to come pick some. The garden had obviously been trimmed and tamed down at one point in time, but had obviously now been left to grow on at its will. The one thing that stood out to Elena was the mammoth sized willow tree that stood tall and lonely at the very end of the garden. It's leaves meeting the floor, cascading down like a waterfall. Elena sighed quickly and looked away, towards a topless Damon. His ocean blue eyes covered by his 'Ray Bans'. "Or maybe Stefan just gave up the good boy routine and decided to join the dark side?" Damon added with a sly smirk.

"You're not funny Damon." Elena sighed again, pulling at the hem of her long, white cotten shirt.

"What're you talking about? I'm hilarious." Damon grinned and looked over at Elena. "Cheer up chum, I'm only messing. Besides, I'm probably wrong...Like you said, it could be Klaus." He saw the sad look lingering on Elenas face, but he had no way of removing it. Nothing he could do would peel off that mask of hope and frustrating and paint on a new one, filled with everything Elena used to be before Stefan disappeared to save Damon. To make Klaus give him the only cure that would stop Damon from dying. Damon supressed the thoughts and memories of those days just after everything went pear shape.

"I hope your right Damon, I really do." Elena sat up from her chair and picked up her light jacket. "I'm going to get something to drink, want anything?" She asked, shifting her weight from both feet as she lingered behind Damons sun lounger.

"I'm fine. You go on in." Damon waved her inside as he continued to lay in the sun. Funny...how one little thing like his ring could stop him from frying to a crisp.

"Actually Damon, I think I might go home. I was planning on making dinner for Jer and Ric, you now how they can't cook to save their life." Elena smiled as she walked inside. She thought she was free from Damon when she had reached the door. She thought wrong. He was fully clothed now, his back to the front door.

"Elena." His voice was low and assertive.

"Damon." Elena relayed back mockingly in the same tone.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his head tilted in concern.

"I'm fine Damon, can I please go?" She asked, pulling her jacket closer around herself. "I just...really want to go home." Damon didn't press her anymore. Instead he nodded once and stood aside as she slipped out of the door. Damon watched Elena keep her head low as she ambled her way to her little red car.

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><p>Jeremy was sprawled across the living room couch, his arm sheilding his eyes as he drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep. Just pitch black nothing-ness, swallowing him whole. Suffocating him, constricting his blood flow. From within the darkness, Vicky emerged.<p>

"Jeremy...How could you Jeremy." She whispered, her face slowly dying. Sinking in on itself as thick viens overtook her papery skin.

"I-I-I didn't do it Vick...I couldn't stop him." He choked back.

"You didn't do anything to help me Jeremy." Anna's voice flooded his ears. He couldn't see her, his feet were bound to the floor.

"Anna?" He shouted out, his voice breaking again.

"They're coming Jeremy...they're coming for you." Anna whispered. Jeremy looked around helplessly, Vicky and Anna were nowhere to be seen. "They're coming!" Anna shrieked, her corpsed face suddenly inches from his. Jeremy shot up from the couch as the front door closed, his face sheen from a thin layer of sweat.

"Hey Jer, I'm home." Elena called from the hallway. She approached the living room, brown paper bag filled with groceries under one arm, and found Jeremy shivering. "Are you alright?" She asked, hurrying to his side.

"Yeah, 'Lena...I'm okay, just a bad dream. Thats all." He explained, gulping back as much air as he could. "I'm gonna take...a uh, shower." He stood up and shot up the stairs, away from Elena, as quickly as he could. Elena sighed, walking into the kitchen as she started unpacking the range of items she was going to use to make dinner. The kitchen was silent except for the rustling of the paper bag as Elena screwed it up and threw it away. With Jeremy upstairs, supposedly taking a shower, although she knew he was just trying to avoid a long, boring conversation with her. With Alaric spending as little time as possible at home and instead spending every waking minute at the high school "catching up on unmarked papers.". A piece of paper caught Elena's eye as she went grab a sauce pan. Clipped to the refridgerator was a yellow note that had been there for over a month now. Jennas curly, slanted calligraphy scrawled across the paper. '_Must get milk!"_. Elena looked down as tears welled up in her eyes, filling to the brim and slid down her face. She missed Jenna, so much it hurt. She couldn't let this out to Jeremy or Alaric because she had to be strong. With Stefan gone aswell, nothing was going to be okay again. She wiped her eyes and tore the note off of the fridge, screwing it up and throwing it into the trash as she continued to prepare dinner.

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><p>Sam yawned, finishing off his last energy drink and crushing the can. He had taken over driving once Deans eyes had started to slowly shut and his head felt like it was carrying a 10 ton weight. He was now asleep in the passenger seat, his head resting on his folded arm and his dark sunglasses shielded his hazel-green eyes. Sam didn't get behind the wheel very often, Dean was usually a lot more stubborn about letting Sam touch his "baby". Cold air hit Sam in the face like a brick wall when he winded down the window to keep himself awake. The night air done him some good, kept his sense up on high alert. His eyes blurred and fuzzed every now and again as he followed the glowing red tail lights of the car infront until the made a different turn off. Sam looked over at Dean and aimed the crushed up can. Dink. The aluminum can bounced off of Deans forehead and fell into his lap. Sam couldn't supress his laughter as Dean shot up looking around startled. His sunglasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.<p>

"Sam!" He groaned, his voice hoarse.

"Yes Dean?" Sam replied, on the edge of hysterics. A laughing fit had erupted and he couldn't stop himself, he blamed the energy drinks.

"Are you freakin' high or something?" He asked, shivering at the cold air coming through Sams window.

"Nope. 'Course not...that would be like...stupid." Sam grinned, shaking his head. Dean picked up the crushed can in his lap and showed it to Sam.

"How many?" He asked sighing as she shifted around in his seat.

"I don't know." Sam shrugged, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "4? 5? Who knows." Sam burst out laughing again.

"Oh shut up." Dean shook his head groaning. A yawn escaped his lips. "How long was I asleep?"

"About 5 and a half hours now."

"And are we any closer to Mystic Falls or are you so hyped up on these energy drinks you've just been driving around the round abouts for the last hour or two?" Dean assumed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Mystic Falls, 12 miles that way." Sam extended his arm pointing towards a sign post.

"Great...when we hit the next gas stop, we're switching seats...and buying you a bottle of Ambien, I'm not having you cuckoo for coco pops when we arrive." Dean explained, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, sure thing Dean." Sam grinned and shook his head. "I needed to stay awake, the energy drinks are doing the job. Why your complaining I have no idea why."

"Because I'd rather you not crash my car by trying to beat the moon in a race, or whatever you crazy people do." Dean waved his hand about to exagerate his point.

"Your just jealous because I'm taller than you. Hah." Sam honked the Impala horn at the 'hah'.

"Whatever you say, Chewbacca." Dean sighed again as he closed his eyes and rested his head back on the seat. It was going to be a long drive.

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><p><strong>TRYING my hardest to add more description, it's something I end up falling back on hahaa. So, how's everybody feel about me jumping back into this whole thing? :P Reviews are actually LOVED. OH side note, trying to make this sequel completely darker than before...I'll try my best xD<strong>


	2. Going on a hunch

**Sorry this is so short and what-not...But I just felt like uploading. I'm trying to improve my writing aswell...adding small additional characters to give more depth, like the shows do (: Tell me how you think it works out. I'm offically on a 2 week christmas break, and with christmas in 9 days...it give me time to write a little ;D Lets hope i get Season 6 of SPN so i can FINALLY catch up on missed episodes.**

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><p><em>"Because I'd rather you not crash my car by trying to beat the moon in a race, or whatever you crazy people do." Dean waved his hand about to exagerate his point.<em>

_"Your just jealous because I'm taller than you. Hah." Sam honked the Impala horn at the 'hah'._

_"Whatever you say, Chewbacca." Dean sighed again as he closed his eyes and rested his head back on the seat. It was going to be a long drive._

Sam had switched seats with Dean as planned and had drifted to sleep after dry swallowing back 3 Ambien. Dean hadn't bothered to check into a motel when they arrived at Mystic Falls in the early morning, he just waited inside the Mystic Grill with a now buzzed down Sam. The same Mystic Grill he was ever so familiar with from the months back when he got wrecked with Elena. But he didn't dwell on those facts. Sams head was resting on his palm as he people watched, with it being so early the only people in there besides the Winchesters were the employees and even they still looked like they had to be dragged out of their coffins.

"Do we even have a time for when Alaric is meeting us?" Sam asked sleepily, the drugs obviously still in action.

"No, but I hope it's soon. I can't stand sitting in here like some stupid couple." Dean grumbled, taking a sip of his coffee and burning his tongue. "Shit." He groaned, placing the cup back on the table.

"Well, give him a call then." Sam insisted, scratching at the wooden table. Dean sighed and reached inside his jean pocket to retrieve his phone, his tongue still throbbing from the scalding coffee.

"I'm guessing you mean me?" Alarics voice drifted from the entrance of the Grill, the sun behind him showing off the spikey dissary of hair that was almost long enough to shield his eyes. Sam could still make out dark circles underlining his eyes, aging him way beyond his actual age. He skulked over to the table and took a seat between the two of them. "Deals a deal, who wants breakfast?" He asked, stifiling a long yawn.

"I'll have the full english." Dean requested, subtly looking Alaric over. He'd looked better. Much.

"Figures." Sam scoffed, finishing the last dregs of coffee at the bottom of his mug.

"Anything for you Sam?" Alaric asked, looking towards him. Sam noticed the growing stubble where it looked like Alaric hadn't bothered to shave in a while. Or actually bother to look in a mirror. Sam cleared his throat, looking away awkwardly and shaking his head.

"No thank you." He replied.

"Sam only eats gardens." Dean laughed. He looked at Alaric, who had given his order to a pretty red haired waitress, according to the name tag on her blue shirt she was called Autum. Like name, like nature. _How appropriate_. Dean thought; quickly pulling on his serious 'we're-on-a-case-so-shut-up-and-listen' face. "So what is it that's so important that you needed us to stop, drop and drive all freakin' night to Mystic Falls?" Dean caught the end of a death glare he had earned from Sam.

"Well...It's just a hunch-" Alaric began.

"A _hunch_? We're going on a hunch that you have?" Dean almost shouted.

"Let him finish Dean," Sam groaned, kicking Deans shin underneith the table.

"Just, listen okay?" Alaric sighed and pulled a handful of papers out of his satchel. He cleared his throat and shuffled the pages, the page he pulled ontop was covered in ink scrawls and coffee stains. "Becky Flannigan, aged 26, died last night after a terrible hit and run accident just as she left her home on Laurel Avenue." Alaric looked up from the paper to find Sam and Dean with both their brows raised. It remained silent for a while until the red haired waitress came back over with Deans plate if food.

"Uh, Ric...that doesn't really sound like our kinda thing." Sam concluded as he began folding a napkin over and over on itself.

"Exactly, just some unfortunate accident." Dean nodded, cutting into his sausages.

"Right. Her death is...well not exactly the best way to go, but normal enough. Becky died almost 2 weeks ago exactly." Alaric added, watching Dean wolf down the two sausages on his plate with ease.

"What does that have to do with what your selling us?" Sam asked, quirking a brow. Alaric pulled out another paper and shoved it ontop of Beckys.

"Will D'Amato, 37, was busy working underneith his car when he had a heart attack and died." Alarics eyes darted up again.

"Again, Ric...that just sounds like another natural cause." Sam sighed.

"He died on the 10th."

"Thats almost two weeks ago aswell." Dean pointed out, mouthful off egg.

"Well spotted." Alaric replied sarcastically.

"What do they have in common?" Sam asked, holding out his hand to take a look at the papers.

"They don't have anything in common, both good people. Never knew eachother." Alaric explained, taking Deans coffee mug and gulping almost half of it down.

"Then I don't get what it is your trying to show us Ric. Besides that a few locals died."

"I best show you the graveyard then." Alaric exhaled loudly as he stood up, taking some money out of his pocket and peeling out $25 and throwing it on the table infront. "Lets go." Alaric started out the door, followed by Sam and a few second later Dean who still had a mouthfull of bacon and slices of toast in his hand.

"Atleast let me finish eating!" Dean grumbled, trying not to spit his food everywhere.

All Sam could think about on the drive to the graveyard, was how morbid Mystic Falls looked. It **definitely** didn't look like this before they left. Even after all those werewolves they had to kill. Even though it was summer and the weather had been kind to the residents for the past month or two, it had a dull tone that seemed infectious. As they pulled up and walked through the graveyard's iron gates, it didn't seem to improve. Even for a graveyard, it looked positively..._dead_.

"Someone forget to set the sprinklers on?" Dean asked looking around at the dying grass.

"You'd sure think that wouldn't ya?" Alaric murmured as he continued walking between the headstones and towards one marker in particular.

"Look like you've been going through some sort of drought." Sams chewed the inside of his lip as he also looked around and followed Alaric. Alaric stopped abruptly and side stepped out of the way to let Sam and Dean get a better look.

"Boys, say hi to Becky Flannigan." Alaric's hand gestured outward toward the headstone marked Rebecca Flannigan. The grave had only been dug two weeks earlier, yet the ground surrounding it seemed to have sunken in. Like a cake you took out of the oven too early. Patches of dying yellow grass stood around the sunken area and spread throughout the graveyard.

"Whoa." Dean whistled. "Whats been going on here?" He asked aloud, stepping forward and using all his weight on his foot to push down on the sunken, muddy area. His foot seemed to push the area underneith his foot down even further. Dean removed his foot frowning and looked towards Alaric who only shrugged. Sam stepped forward and crouched down, swiping his finger across the place Deans foot had left a visible imprint.

"The mud's damp." Sam stated. He pressed his palm to the ground and gave a big push, causing the ground to sink in a few more inches. "The whole graveyard is pretty much dry and dead, except for Beckys grave." Sam stood up, rubbing his hand on his thigh to get rid of the mud.

"And here's where my hunch comes in. I think something's going on." Alaric said, looking between the Winchesters.

"Wheres the other persons grave? Will D'Amato?" Dean asked, licking his lips. Alaric nodded over to the left. Dean followed the direction and found D'Amato's grave almost seven down. Almost an exact replica of Beckys grave. "Same thing over here."

"Has anyone else died recently?" Sam asked. Alaric looked down quickly, trying to avoid eye contact. "Ric? Who else has died?" Alaric sighed deeply.

"A fair few. Jenna died..." Alaric muttered.

"Jenna?" Dean frowned as he walked back over. "Jenna who?"

"Sommers, Elena's aunt...my, girlfriend." Alaric cleared his throat and looked back up.

"I'm sorry Ric." Sam placed a hand on Alarics shoulder and gave it a pat. "But where is her grave?" He asked quietly.

"Theres no point looking, I already have. I don't think this," Alaric gestured towards Beckys grave. "Really happens to vampires."

"Vampire? Jenna was a vampire?" Dean frowned.

"Only for a short while, it was part of this big plan Klaus had." Alaric rubbed his hand harsly across his jaw.

"And whos Klaus?" Sam asked. Alaric sighed and began to explain to them what they'd missed in the last four months. From Klaus, to the ritual to make half breeds, Elena dying, Damon almost dying and everything in between. Dean was shocked.

"Why...why didn't you call us then?" He snapped. Alaric shook his head.

"I thought about it, but...I didn't wanna drag you boys in."

"Thats exactly the first thing you should of done! We could of helped! We could of stopped any of that happening. Hell we've stopped the apocolypse for God sakes!" Dean continued his string of shouting until Sam stepped in and told him to shut up.

"Give the guy a break Dean." Sam ordered. Dean sighed.

"Fine. Is...is Elena...uh, is she okay?" He asked quietly. Alaric nodded.

"She keeps to herself, I try not to go home...I can't stand to be there with everything reminding me of Jenna. Elena, has been...I guess OK. Stefans gone missing with Klaus so, she trying her best to find him." Alaric explained, take a small whiskey flask out of his inner jacket pocket and taking a swig. Dean nodded.

"Well, is there anymore we can do here?" He asked clearing his throat and stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

"There are a few more people who have died in the last two, three weeks. They're all buried here, all the same. Maybe we should just do some extra research, see if we _can_ find something to link these people up." Alaric suggested, clipping his satchel up.

"Library?" Sam asked, walking towards the iron gates.

"Actually, I'm gonna go...check us into a motel. We gotta have some place to sleep after all." Dean chuckled nervously and hurried ahead of them and towards the Impala.

"O...kay, Dean. I'll go with Ric, see what we can pull up. Mystic Grill in a few hours?" Sam turned around and began walking backwards as he spoke to Dean.

"Yeah. Mystic Grill, few hours. Got it." Dean formed an 'O' with his index finger and thumb and almost saluted to them both with it. He waited until they were out of sight till he pulled onto the main road and to the one location he desperately needed to go to. No matter how crazy the other half of his brain kept telling him he was.

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><p>Ryan Manor, short time husband, long time alcoholic. Spending most of his days in the morgue, wrist deep in someones stomach or heavy handling the rib cutters. He never <em>really<em> got used to working in the morgue, being a coroner he just had to deal with it. Ryan saw dead bodies everyday. The end of the day would come and he'd peel off his blood soaked latex gloves, disposing of them as quickly as possible. Just dying to get home and give in to his thirst for a cool beer. On the days when Ryan Manor decided he'd seen one too many bodies to survive a life time and had spent long enough using his small but equally dangerous skull chisel, he'd treat himself to something stronger than plain old beer. Something that would be thick and pour like oil and taste just as sinister. But for tonight he was sat on his front porch, feet resting on a small wicker table as he cradled a chilled six-pack in his lap. He sighed, finishing off the last of the beer that remained in the bottle in his hand and placed it on the floor besides him. He so desperately wanted some ice cold vodka to chase the beer, something to chase the awful day away; he was out. So he had to, reluctantly, open another beer and swallow back mouthfuls of unsatisfying liquid. _This_ is how he spent most afternoons and evenings, too inebriated to bother moving from his spot and with it being summer time, he had no reason to go inside when it started getting colder. The warm air loosened him up and made him even more drousy. Ryans wife, Jenny, tried not to be at home when he came back from work. She would spend a few hours at her mothers house until she knew Ryan would be passed out on their front porch, half empty bottle of alcohol in hand just about to slip. He still had a few hours to kill before he saw her. He yawned and closed the burning eyes that he kept trying to keep open but just couldn't. Just waiting to settle into a dreamless sleep. His mind filled with clouds of blackness as he began his descent into unconsciousness. His eyes flicked back and forth behind his eyelids as he watched the clouds of black dance around in his vision. His eyes suddenly bugged out of his head as his eyelids snapped open. Ryan gasped, like a fish out of water. He tried gulping back more air but could only continue choking on the alcohol that had somehow managed to force it's way into his lungs and began flooding them. The six-pack in his lap fell to the floor with a smash, the amber liquid spilling out across the porch. Ryan clutched at his throat that burned for oxygen but only recieved more of the beer he'd been drinking. Looking around desperately for something to clear his airwaves, he rammed himself into the porch banister. The wood crashed against his ribs as he continued throwing himself, trying to force himself to cough it all up. After three failed attempts, Ryan Manor fell to the floor. Drowned by the alcohol that had filled his lungs.

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><p><strong>Like I said, adding additional characters to make this "better"? I hope. Please don't hate me for this being such a short sucky chapter. It'll get better with the progression of chapters, like it did with RMAN (:<strong>


	3. That Inner Voice

_**Been a bit of a bitch to write this out :L I didn't manage to write ANYTHING in my 2 weeks off and i've only just this second finished this chapter. But I'm past the roadblock that was stopping me, so i should be good from this point onward. OKAY SORRY. I had this uploaded...then FanFic decided to be a dick when i saw a mistake and couldn't change it...Only now am i aloud to sign back on and change it.**_

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><p>"So what're we meant to be looking for exactly?" Sam asked as he scanned the spines of many old looking books. The library had only been a 15 minute walk from the graveyard, with very little talk exchanged between the two of them. Alaric shrugged and set out his papers on a table, scanning them briefly before joining Sam.<p>

"I don't exactly know, I mean you could go look under home and garden. See if theres anything on dry grass and sunken in graves." Alaric muttered.

"We can't do research if we have no idea where to start Ric." Sam sighed. Alaric just shrugged again and retrieved his whiskey flask from his pocket. Sam looked on at him with a deep frown "It's not even noon yet."

"Getting a headstart." Alaric replied, finished off the whiskey and put the siler flask back. Sam shook his head slowly and cleared his throat.

"So Becky Flannigan, died of a hit and run. Does the Sheriff have any idea who was responsable? Have they found the person?" Sam asked, sitting down at the table and picking up Becky's report.

"They have one witness, a friend of Beckys. Michelle Holmes. Although her statement is kind of...odd."

"Odd how exactly?" Sam asked looking up from the paper.

"Well she says and I quote 'The car seemed to like, have a mind of it's own'. So I nailed _that_ down to her having watched her friend get crushed under the front wheels. Made the girl emotionally unaware of what really happened." Alaric explained, caustiously looking over at the librarian who had start to gaze at the pair of them inquisically.

"Did they get a car I.D? Like a make? License plate, anything?" Sam continued to question. Alaric just shrugged.

"I was only able to get certain amounts of the details. You're going to have to put on that FBI suit and go see some of the witnesses if you want more details."

"Right, so this whole thing was pointless," Sam sighed. "I'm going to have to wait until we meet Dean, he has our suits and FBI credentials."

"Okay, well who're you going to talk to first then? The bestfriend? Or D'Amato's wife?" Alaric asked, putting his papers away into his brown satchel.

"Bestfriend, maybe there's something else she hasn't given in her witness report." Sam shrugged. "Or something they left out because it sounded way too wackadoodle for Sheriff Forbes liking?" Once again Sam shrugged off the many possible reasons that could be a pipeline theory.

"I don't know, why would they keep something out of her report unless they were trying to hide something?" Alaric asked, raising an eyebrow at Sam as they headed out of the library double doors.

"Maybe they _were_ trying to hide something?" Sam suggested.

"Okay, so your thinking that...Sheriff Forbes, knows something more about the accident that she isn't letting on?"

"Well, it's only a thought. We could always go actually talk to her once I'm suited up." Sam turned on his heels, facing Alaric and chewed on his lip in thought. "Wait, hold on. Idea." Before Sam even began explain his idea to Alaric he was already down the road, walking at a brisk pace. His long legs taking him further and further away from Alaric. Alaric hurried after him as quickly as he possibly could.

"So what is it? What's your idea?" He asked. Sam just looked at him with a small smirk.

* * *

><p>The Impala drifted to a stop as Dean pulled on the handbreak and gazed at the white house he was now parked in front of. Mentally kicking himself for even getting this far. But concern and worry had him by the twins and he just couldn't shake it. Exhaling deeply, shaking away the quickly burrowing dread, of having to eventually face realisation in what he was about to do. <em>Just hurry up and get it over with. Man up, dude.<em> Pacing himself up the porch steps he took his time to slowly take a quick look around. _Waiting around outside isn't going to help._ Dean clenched his jaw, hating that his inner voice was telling him to get a move on. He held his breath as he knocked on the wooden door, not wanting to exhale until it opened. _You're __**not**__ going to run off, don't act like such a child. Give it a few more seconds._ Dean closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, turning on his heels as he started back for the Impala.

"Dean?" said a feminine whisper, so quiet Dean almost didn't hear it. He turned back around slowly, a painted smile on his face.

"Hey." He mustered a reply whilst trying his hardest to not let the smile slip. Dean _was_genuinely glad to see the same familiar caramel chocolate coloured hair, dewy skin and especially her big brown doe eyes. He didn't know what it was that made him want to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She was broken. The same girl but different in so many ways.

"Dean." Elena smiled, stepping forward and snaking her arms around him, nestling her head in his neck and shoulder. Dean let his arms hang by his side for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. He was thankful when Elena pulled away. "How've you been?" She asked, biting her lower lip in concern.

"You know how the job is." Dean shrugged and looked at his shuffling feet. _You haven't seen her in four months, Alaric told you she died and lost a lot of people and your standing here like a useless fool? Do something! Say something!_. He cleared his throat looking back up at Elena, wet his lips and proceeded. "Alaric called me and Sammy, he thinks there's a case for us here." He waited until Elena nodded and he was sure he was clear to proceed. "He also told me, what happened to you." Dean paused, his attention focused on Elenas expressions.

"That was nothing." Elena replied in a quiet whisper.

Dean scoffed in disbelief. "Elena, you died. How is that nothing?" He asked, watching her look everywhere but directly at him.

"Because I'm alive now," She mumbled, taking a sudden deep interest in her fingernails. "The one person who didn't deserve it. But here I am." She sighed, looking up.

"I know...what it's like Elena, you've lost people. You sacrificed yourself. I damn well think you deserved it." Elena scoffed, or laughed, Dean couldn't really tell. She took in a deep breath and crossed her arms.

"Well, it's nice to know atleast one person thinks I done the right thing." She smiled. "Did I say it's good to see you again?" Dean didn't have to paint a smile on this time. Everything that lit up his face this time, was genuine.

"It's good to see you too." He replied honestly.

"How's Sam?" She asked, glad to have managed to push past the horrible awkward stuff.

"Sammy's, well...Sammy. Everything is good...I guess." Dean looked down briefly, thinking of Castiel.

"I did try to get in touch with you again. When everything with Klaus kicked up...I prayed, for Castiel to come and help me. Hoping he'd have a different solution." Elena shook her head, scoffing. "Did he ever? I haven't spoken to, or seen Cas since you left town."

Dean sighed and closed his eyes. "Cas, uh...betrayed us." Elenas eyes widened in surprise.

"He, what? Cas was loyal to you both though?" She argued, not wanting to believe someone as innocent as Castiel could be easily directed to the wrong side. Dean took his time to explain his and Sam's current predicament.

"He wasn't ignoring you Elena. Just remember that, okay?" He asked her. Elena ran her hands through her hair and leant against the door frame to stop herself from falling back. Dean watched her cautiously. She didn't look good. "'Lena? Are you alright?" He asked again.

"All those months, I-I prayed...and _nothing_. All those months and everything fell down around me. I'd rather Cas just forgot me than him do that." She rested her head back and sighed. "This close to having a nervous break-down I swear." She laughed and shook her head. "Sorry. After everything I needed to...do that."

"I don't blame you." Dean cleared his throat, taking a step back. "I have to get back to Sam. Got a motel to book into and...what not." He explained, indicating with his thumb to the Impala.

"Oh really? Well...I have a spare guest room. Theres only one double bed...but I'm sure you and Sam wont mind sharing right?" Elena needed the extra company, considering Alaric was never there and Jeremy was acting like a normal distant teenager, she wanted somebody else to talk to.

_She's offering you a bed! Take the freakin' offer!_ Dean rubbed a hand across his jaw, contemplating her generous offer. _What is there to think about? Sure beats sleeping in the same old crappy motel rooms._ "Elena, I'm not..." _Turn her down and you'll regret it. Sam wouldn't throw away the chance of a guaranteed hot shower and cooked meal._ Dean cleared his throat once more. "I'll call Sam." He said, half smiling when Elena smiled herself.

"Good." She took a step inside. Elena was happy that she was going to have extra company. It gave her something to do besides hang out aimlessly at the Salvatore boarding house. Plus, she could tolerate Dean and Sam. All she'd have to do is sweep the awkward 'fling thing' under the rug and forget about it.

"Hey Sam?" Dean called down his cell when Sam picked up.

"Yeah Dean?" Sam answered, looking at Michelle Holmes and mouthing 'One Minute' to her. He stepped out of the small living room and into the narrow hallway.

"Still at the library?" He asked scratching his cheek.

"No, I'm at Michelle Holmes' place. The best friend of Becky Flannigan." Sam lowered his voice down an octave, hoping Michelle wouldn't hear him even with a door between them.

"Alright. Who're you posing as?" He wondered aloud, raising an eyebrow.

"A long lost cousin to Becky who has come back into town to pay his respects to her." Sam explained

"Guess you pulled that kicked puppy dog look and she let you right in, hmm?." Dean laughed, picturing Sam's well known puppy dog eye look that made quite a few people want to give his cheek a big squeeze. Whereas it just made Dean feel just a bit queasy sometimes. "Well, I'm just calling to let you know I got us a room."

"Okay, same motel we stayed in before?" He asked.

"Not exactly. Elena has offered us her guest bedroom. Double bed, so your sleeping on the floor."

"Ah, so thats where you went." Sam smirked. "Check in on the one-nighter, eh?" He chuckled.

"After what Alaric told us, yes! I wanted to-" Dean cut himself off and lowered his voice. "I wanted to see if she was...alright."

"Haha! Looks like you-" Sam stopped, getting an earful of Dean shouting 'Blah, Blah, Blah' down the phone. Sam smirked again.

"Bag it Sam. Be grateful I got us a decent place to stay yeah?" Dean rolled his eyes almost feeling the satisfied smirk from Sam on the other end of the call as he'd won that argument.

"Fine, fine I'm grateful. Now better get going, I got some more questions for Michelle. Have fun with the one-nighter." Sam laughed and hung up before he could let Dean reply to him.

Slipping his phone inside his jacket and pushed open the living room door, smiling sympathetically at Michelle who had just finished off a box of tissues.

"Sorry about that. Brother didn't know how to load the washing machine." Sam gave a small chuckle and sat back down opposite Michelle.

"It's fine. My own brother is just as useless." She blew her nose loudly.

"What was it you were saying before about the car?" Sam asked.

"Uh, it was a blue Buick." Michelle cleared her throat, trying her hardest to remember the car and not Becky being crushed underneith it's front wheels. Michelles voice broke as she spoke. "Yeah a Buick Riviera?" She swiped the corners of her eyes with the crumpled tissue. Sam smiled sympathetially, placing a hand gently on her knee.

"Do you know the year?" He asked slowly. _A few more questions and then your pushing it Sam._

"Uh, 71? 72? I'm not...sure, I was never good with cars." Michelle admited, sighing. Sam gave her knee a quick squeeze, sliding over the-

_-porch railing, Becky fell flat on her back. The buick had destroyed one half of her front porch, leaving Michelle on the unbroken side unable to help her friend. The buick reversed back onto the asphalt, almost eyeing up the vulnerable Becky. Panting, unable to move from shock. Michelle watched in horror as the buick gave it's full throttle and headed for Becky. A sickening crunch as-_

-she tore open the new packet of tissue, wiping at her eyes frantically. Sam wondered if he's pushed too far when he asked her about the driver.

"There was...no one there! I mean, I must of been just imagening things right?" Michelle wept, holding her head in her hands.

"The windows weren't just tinted?" He asked, chewing the inside of his lip. Michelle shook her head.

"No, I swear to God. No tinted windows. I could see through the windshield, nobody was driving that damn buick." Sam patted her back. He'd definitely pushed enough now and he decided to push no further. Becky obviously meant a _lot_ to Michelle.

"I believe you Michelle."

"You do?" She asked, sniffing.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I do."

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><p><strong><em>Sorry it's short :$ but it's actually a lot that went into this :L soo...enjoy 33<em>**


	4. Daydream Believer

**Yup, hate me all you like. No update for a VERY long time...but HEY here it is! :P I had like, no inspiration for this until like...now :L Be lucky!**

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><p><em>"I believe you Michelle." <em>

_"You do?" She asked, sniffing._

_Sam nodded. "Yeah, I do." _

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><p>Damon looked around at the many newspaper articles he had pinned to his wall. Mostly woman, scattered across the states, each killing more brutal than the last. Damon rubbed a hand across his chin, gazing at the most recent murder in Missouri. A girl of 19 killed in her college dorm, throat ripped out with major inflictions to the skull. Stefan and Klaus had obviously bashed this poor girl about before killing her. Damon shook his head and looked away.<p>

His brother really had turned back into a Ripper. He had witnessed Stefan going through this once before. Leaving a trail of bodies in his path, not caring, only thinking that what he was doing was the best. Until Lexi of course. Alexia Branson, was the one person who stopped Stefan and made him think about his actions. Of course she was dead now, thanks to Damon. So she couldn't help him this time round. He'd just have to wait until Stefan eventually decided to kill everything in his path, knowing that eventually Stefan would catch up with Damon and kill him.

Damon had nothing to do. He was bored, getting nowhere closer to finding Stefan and Klaus, he had _nothing_ to do. Groaning, he fell back onto his bed. The black silk sheets creasing underneith his body. He cast his mind back to when he was dying, lying hopelessly on the same bed. Sweating like a fountain, but _she_ didn't leave his side. Dearest Elena admited that she genuinely liked him just the way he was. Of course she must of lied a little, just to be kind to him. Considering they all believed he was going to die. But then again, she could of said anything to please him. Elena _did_ shed real tears for him, even in his drousey state he could still smell the salty water on her cheeks that were inches away from his own face. And of course he couldn't and _wouldn't_ forget about that kiss. Her delicate lips pressing ever so lightly against his.

Damon smirked thinking back, his arms shielded his eyes as he drifted into REM sleep. Endless images of Stefan 'The Ripper' going about another town, killing more innocent people. Just like he used to. Mixed with blurred images of a sultry looking Elena. For some reason he had her pictured out in the backyard, amongst the wildlife, dancing around in the sun in short shorts and a white vest top. He'd turn on the sprinkles and watch her as she giggled and ran through them. He was interupted from dreaming any further when his phone rang. His eyes snapped open and he groaned loudly and retrieved him phone from the beside table.

"Give me a reason to not kill you right now." Damon hissed down the small speaker.

"Well hello to you too Damon." Elena replied.

"Dearest Elena, whatever is it you needed to call up so urgently about and wake me from my...dream?" He asked, in the sweetest tone he could possibly pull off.

"I just called to tell you that, I have guests staying round. I know what your like Damon, so I'm giving you a heads up."

"You know what I'm like...what's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a smirk plastered from ear to ear. Elena scoffed, shaking her head.

"You'll turn up out of the blue and make things uncomfortable. I don't need that with them here."

"You've gotten me curious now Elena. Who's staying?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows, even though Elena couldn't see. She paused, looking into the kitchen to Dean who was looking around awkwardly. He picked up a ceramic jar, lifting up the lid and peering inside. He fumbled slightly, the jar slipping in his hand. Quickly recovering, Dean sheepishly slid the jar back in it's place.

"Uh, no one important." She blurted.

"Now c'mon Elena, you've got to lie better than that." Damon laughed.

"The Winchesters alright?" She whispered.

"Winchesters eh? What're _they_ doing back in town?"

"Alaric called them." Elena rubbed her forehead, hating Damons endless string of questions.

"Good ol' Ric, trust him to bring back Shaggy and Scooby Doo." He rolled his eyes, standing up.

"They helped us out last time Damon. Don't be such a...a...a-" Elena struggled for the right word.

"Whats wrong Elena, can't find the words to express your feelings towards me?" He laughed.

"Asshole."

"Ouch. Words hurt too ya know."

"Evidently." Elena shooked her head sighing. "So...what were you dreaming about?" She asked curiously.

Damon laughed; rubbing his slightly sweaty palms on his jeans. "What're you talking about?" He rolled his eyes at the light laughter he recieved from the other end.

"You said I interupted your dream. I'm guessing it must of been a darn good dream for you to get all snippy with me." Elena smirked but quickly shook her head.

"Did you want me to say it dreamt about you Elena?" He asked, flashing his 250 kilowatt smile.

"No. But it sounded like you w_ere_ dreaming about me." Elena laughed again.

"Just because _you_ dream about _me_ every night." He teased. "I bet you dream about kissing me. Like you kissed me before."

"Damon, how many times? It was a...'Goodbye' kiss. Alright?" She explained, "I thought you were gonna die."

"Call it whatever you will. You still kissed me and you dream about me." Damon laughed.

"Yeah, keep on dreaming Damon." Elena rolled her eyes, "Can I meet you later on in the Mystic Grill?"  
>"I'm not sure if I should accept your luncheon invitation. I was truly hurt with your insult." Damon pouted.<p>

"My heart bleeds for you. I'll see you tonight at 8." Elena rolled her eyes and hung up.

Damon shook his head, sliding his phone into his jean pocket. "It's a date."

* * *

><p>Elena burried her phone at the bottom of her bag before clearing her throat and looking up at Dean. She watched, smiling as she startled him. His green eyes darting towards her direction, how long had she been watching him mess around for? Dean awkwardly shifted to a seat and sat himself down, clasping his hand infront of him. As if to show her that he wasn't going to destroy anything else.<p>

"Uh, sorry about that." He said sheepishly.

Elena shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry about it." She didn't stop herself from looking him up and down. She only just about stopped staring when their eyes met. "Uh. Would you like anything to drink?" She asked, moving swiftly past him and to the fridge. Dean didn't hear her straight away, he was busy thinking about what he'd heard Elena say to Damon, who was apparently on the other end of the call, according to her. She had said 'It was a goodbye kiss'. _Did that mean that Elena had been going around kissing Damon __**aswell**__? _Dean cleared his throat and looked up.

"Uh, too early for beer eh?" Dean replied, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. He shook his head. "I'm fine. Sam should be here soon, it doesn't take him long to interrogate somebody." Elena nodded. She hated the awkward cloud that smothered them, they had nothing else to talk about. And she was sure as hell she didn't want to dive head first into talk about their "fling".

Slowly, without even realising, she started to drift off into a daydream. The phone call with Damon had obviously stuck with her and the daydream had taken a sudden turn to feeling real, because she felt Damon's soft lips delicately dancing along her neck. His hands sliding round her waist from behind, caressing the exposed skin of her flat stomach. She shivered in delight at his cool fingertips; her head tilting backward allowing her neck to become more exposed to him. Elena felt him smirk against her skin.

"Little 'Lena...what're you doing?" He asked. Elena's eyes closed and she made a small grunt at the withdrawal of his lips. She wasn't waiting for too long, the other side of her neck was being showered with firmer kisses. She opened her eyes and found Dean, standing infront of her, hands on her hips. He was the one giving her this amazing amount of affection. Her breath quickened as she realised Damon was still behind her and proceeding to kiss her neck the other side. Elena's eyes almost seemed to roll back in her head.

"Elena what're you doing?" Elena couldn't seem to place who said it. It wasn't gruff enough to be Dean and it was definitely _wasn't _Damon.

"Stefan!" She gasped, unable to seem to get Dean and Damon off of her person. Her eyes snapped open and she found Stefan leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his broad chest. Blood smeared across his mouth and chin.

"I've disappeared and instead of actually trying to find me...your here tarting about with-" Stefan looked at them, waving his hand. "My brother and this _thing_!"

"No Stefan. It's not like that!" Elena moaned loudly as Dean kissed her intensely. Stefan shook his head and scoffed.

"Have fun with that Elena." He replied menicingly, turning his back and walking away.

"Elena are you alright?" Dean asked. Elena shook her head and blinked.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking around and rubbing her neck where she dreamt he was kissing. "Yeah I'm fine." Dean nodded, unsure if he should believe her or not. "So you've no idea what your after?"

"Well, no...Alaric didn't have much of an idea at all really." Dean explained as he tapped his thumbs together in a quick pace.

Elena nodded and cleared her throat again. She looked around her suddenly, extremely interesting kitchen, well anything was better than this painful conversation. Dean puffed out his cheeks before exhaling loudly and clicking his tongue. Elena pushed her hair back, turning to face him.

"I just, remembered...something. I've got to, uh, go meet somebody." She explained backing out of the kitchen door. "Yeah, Caroline. I need to speak to Care." Elena shook her head, closing her eyes at her stupid excuse and picked up her jacket, heading towards the front door. Dean stood up quickly, a deep frown set on his face as he followed her. "So, help yourself to...anything. If you need to go out, theres a key under the mat. Sorry, but I really just need to..." She exhaled quickly, gazing once more at Dean and opening the front door. "Yeah." She hurriedly ran down the porch steps and to her little red car. Dean remained standing in the hallway. Utterly confused as to what just went on.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later and Sam was shifted his way slowly up the path on his way to Elena's house, if he remembered the house number and street correctly. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings or the people he kept bumping into, apologising for his ignorance afterwards. Sam was busy fingering the piece of paper in his hands. After Michelle had calmed down from another break down, he had asked her if she knew who Will D'Amato was. A long pause and a lot of 'Uhm-ing' Michelle had managed to find some connection to why the name was familiar. Handing him a crumpled and folded bright orange flyer, bold black lettering with the words:<p>

'_**Think you've got a problem? No one to tell? Then come along to our private meeting held at Fells Church: 8:15pm - 10pm every Wednesday.**_'

Michelle had explained to Sam that Becky had been abused by an ex boyfriend in the past, he had eventually moved out of town, but Becky needed the counsel group to get her by. Will D'Amato just happened to be another member of this "Secret" group. And there was the first connection to the most recent murders.

Once he thanked Michelle for her help, Sam asked if he could take a look around Becky's bedroom one last time before he "left town again". She had, reluctantly, let him and after a few minutes of searching, he found her diary. Countless pages of Becky's mindless rambles, typical girlie diary. Sam thought he'd hit a pothole with that one, until he reached near the back of her book and her "mindless rambles" turned into the exposure of her love affair with none other than Will D'Amato. Sam scoffed and shook his head, closing the diary and shoving it in his pocket, hoping it would come in handy later on. He hurried out of Becky's bedroom, every second lost was a second that more people died. He thanked Michelle once again giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and a smile before leaving.

Sam felt sorry for those families and friends who had lost the people dearest to them. He had always been sympathetic towards them, having lost his mom when he was only 6 months old. Burned alive, bleeding from her belly, on the ceiling, above _Sam's_ crib. He'd become even more sympathetic after also losing Jess, his dad and pretty much everyone else he'd ever met in his life or come in contact with. But he couldn't blame everyones death on himself, atleast he tried not to. He couldn't imagine what Dean had to deal with when he had no soul. Not caring for or about anybody else. Sam shivered at the thought and shook his head. He folded the orange flyer and put it in his pocket and smacking straight into Dean.

"Better be careful where your treading Sasquatch." Dean shook his head chuckling.

"Right, sorry." Sam cleared his throat and licked his lips. "Thought you'd be at Elena's?"

"Uh, yeah she left. Told me she had other buisness." Dean scratched the back of his neck and then shrugged, acting as if he didn't care. Even though Sam knew he obviously did. He was searching for some smart ass remark but decided against it and just shook his head. "So what you find?" Dean asked.

"Looks like little Becky got up to some far from holy stuff." Sam scoffed and pulled out the diary, flicking to the back pages.

Dean chuckled lightly, peering into the diary. "Heh, got it on with the older fella eh?"

"Yup, which gives us a connection between those two. If we're lucky, we can link all the other deaths to this aswell." Sam took out the orange flyer and gave it to Dean who studied it for a long time.

"So Becky Flannigan and Will D'Amato both went to this little mother hen meeting thing?" He asked.

"Yeah, thats where they met, according to Becky's diary." Sam flicked through the pages and scoffed. "See, Becky was going to these 'counselling' groups because of an abusive ex. Here she mentions that D'Amato was there for a uh, sex addiction" Sam cleared his throat and looked up at Dean who tried not to smirk. Sam continued. "Plus, he was already married. So I guess they figured they could help eachother out with their little 'problems'?" Dean laughed once he has finished.

"Well that sounds more like an episode of one of those crappy drama's I've caught you watching before." He chuckled again. Sam rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Don't speak ill of the dead." Sam snapped. Dean raised a hand.

"Alright, calm it Kermit." He smirked again.

"Hysterical." Sam rolled his eyes once again, shoving the diary back in my jacket pocket. Dean kept ahold of the orange flyer. Sam opened his mouth to speak but a shrill, high pitched scream from across the street was heard clear as a bell and the Winchesters were straight onto it. Dean swiftly took out his .45 which was tucked into the back of his pants, leading the way across the road towards the noise, followed by Sam who had his own gun out.

"I think it's coming from that one." Dean pointed with his gun at one of the houses, Sam nodded and the broke into a run towards the house. Firing themselves up the front porch and to the door. Both standing either side, guns raised. Sam backed up, trying the door. It swung open easily and the screaming was heard even clearer now; it was slowly dying out. They hurried inside, fearing the worst.

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><p><em><strong>Yeah, it sucks...I know V_V Hate me even more later :L Been TRYING to improve on everything I do, it's soooo difficult. Sorry for little spelling &amp; grammar mistakes, I always spot them afterwards *sigh* Anywho, hope you've enjoyed :P<br>Reviews are welcomed with open arms + PIE! :D Yes the pie is back! ;)**_


	5. Dropping Like Flies

**Hey, it's been a while ^_^ But this has been the hardest thing to write for, no lie *sigh* Anyway, I was thinking (Still haven't watched S7, don't hateme :L) But i realised they don't have the Impala! They do in this 1 because i didn't realise V_V and2 because i love that car too much to get rid of it. Yes I also realised this is extremely short. Be lucky I decided to upload it at twenty to 3 in the morning, be grateful xD**

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><p><em>Dean swiftly took out his .45 which was tucked into the back of his pants, leading the way across the road towards the noise, followed by Sam who had his own gun out.<em>

_"I think it's coming from that one." Dean pointed with his gun at one of the houses, Sam nodded and the broke into a run towards the house. Firing themselves up the front porch and to the door. Both standing either side, guns raised. Sam backed up, trying the door. It swung open easily and the screaming was heard even clearer now; it was slowly dying out. They hurried inside, fearing the worst. _

Dean lead the way, heading towards the scream that was rapidly fading out, he stopped when he spotted a crimson pool of blood spreading out across the living room carpet. He looked over his shoulder at Sam and shook his head. He sighed and tucked the gun back in his pants.

"What happened?" Sam asked, moving closer to get a better look at the victim. He saw vertical slashes across a young womans wrists on both arms, the blood darkening the clothes she was wearing. "She killed herself?" Sam bent down, careful not to step in the bright crimson blood which had pooled around the womans body from either side. The slashes were deep, she was obviously serious about getting the job done right.

"If she was just trying to kill herself, why was she screaming the house down?" Dean cleared his throat, looking around. "Maybe this was meant to look like a suicide. Ya know, what if somebody or...some_thing_ did this to put it under a suicide." Dean clenched his jaw, looking everywhere but at the body.  
>"What would do something like that? I mean a suicide doesn't fit the patterns of death now does it?" Sam replied, standing up and moving away.<p>

"Maybe they got sloppy? Prehaps ran out of original ideas, too much of a coincidence to have everyone drop dead from a heart attack or hit and run." The anger inside Dean was building. They could of saved this person, if they had been a bit quicker they could of made it across the street in time. He refrained from punching something and walked into the kitchen to look around. Sam took out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"Hi, I'm calling to get the cops out here on Wickery Lane, house number 35. I heard a lot of screaming I thought you'd might want to check up on it. My name? Oh yeah my name is-" Sam hung up the phone, stuffing it in his pocket and walking into the kitchen to get Dean. His back was to Sam, it was difficult to tell how Dean was feeling at this point. Dean licked his lips and shook his head turning around holding a piece of orange paper.

"Look familiar to you Sherlock?" Sam sighed as he read the text: '_**Fells Church: 8:15pm - 10pm every Wednesday.**_'

"I guess we got a solid lead."

"What day is it?" Dean asked, throwing the paper down and heading out the back door.

"It's Tuesday Dean." Sam answered, following him out of the backyard and towards town. "Where are we going?"

"The morgue, find out who else has dropped out like flies these past few weeks."

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><p>"It's like everytime I close my eyes Caroline, I see <em>him<em>. I see Stefan, judging me..." Elena mumbled, drifting off from her sentence. They were sitting at a table outside of The Grill, giving them a chance to soak up the sun _and_ spy on the passers by. Elena's walk to The Grill from her parking space and the time inbetween waiting for Caroline had been agonising. Being on her own had given her time to process her weird day dream and clear out her head of any "bad thoughts". Most of those including Dean and Damon.

"Your just missing him Elena, of course your going to keep thinking about him and seeing him in your dreams." Caroline smiled sympathetically, taking a sip of her iced tea.

"It doesn't help having Damon taunt me over...kissing him." Elena lowered her voice some more.

"You said it was a goodbye kiss right? He was gonna die, blah blah blah." Caroline waved her hand above her head. "Just, ignore him and he'll move on."

"Hmm, I hope so. I have to meet him later, hopefully we have some leads on Stefan and Klaus." She sighed, absentmindedly stirring her coffee and leaning on her hand.

"Well I hope you do, I hate seeing you so...miserable." Caroline gave her another sympathetic smile.

"I'm not miserable, Caroline. I'm just dealing with the situation the best I can."

"And your doing a great job." Caroline replied and patted Elena's hand.

"You sound like your patronizing me." Elena raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh no, Elena...of course I'm not." Caroline paused and shook her head. "No, I'm not." Elena looked down at her untouched coffee and then back up, looking around across the green. "I've never noticed them before." Caroline said, trying to dodge further comments that might be passed on the subject. Elena looked in Caroline's direction, spotting Sam strolling across the green, a heavy frown on his face. Dean was following a few steps behind, the same frown on his face. They were deep in conversation. Elena didn't realise she was staring until she saw Stefan, leaning against a tree the Winchesters had just past. He was watching her, shaking his head.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his face set like stone. Elena shook her own head, rubbing her face.

"Nothing." She mumbled.

"Hmm?" Caroline turned round to look at her. "I said have you ever seen them before?" She asked, turning back round to watch Sam and Dean. Elena looked back to the tree she saw Stefan leaning on and he was gone.

"Uh, yeah. They're detectives." Elena cleared her throat. "They helped out once before in Mystic Falls."

"I'm sure I would of remembered them." Caroline turned around shaking her head and finished off her iced tea. "If they're busy "detecting" why are they heading to the morgue?" She asked.

"I don't have the answers Caroline." Elena shrugged, standing up. "Maybe they have a lead on...something?" She chewed her lip and put down some money for her cold, untouched coffee. "I've got to go. I'll talk to you later alright?" She smiled and gave Caroline a quick hug as she picked up her bag and headed across the green.

The Winchesters had already gained a fair distance from Elena, as much as she tried to hurry after them.

"Sam!" She called after them, quickly clearing her throat and shaking her head. They were obviously undercover if they were on a case and she didn't know if they'd necessarily want other people to know their real names. "Uh, Detectives!" She called again but Sam and Dean were already inside the morgue doors. She sighed and turned around to head back to her car, almost slamming into a wall of flesh.

"See I thought we were meeting at 8." Damon smirked. "But if you just couldn't wait, I'm not complaining. I am hard to resist after all." He boasted. Elena shook her head, taking a step back.

"Don't be a jackass. I was just having a tallk with Caroline and as far as I'm concerned, we still _are_ meeting at 8." She explained, crossing her arms infront of her chest when she noticed Damon staring a few inches south. Damon dragged his eyes towards Elena's face.

"Might aswell get it out of the way now, you _do_ want to find Stefan right?" He began, taking in Elena's sudden change in expression. "Or were you going to run after Shaggy and Scooby Doo?" He asked, trying to hide the fact that his jaw was clenched really tightly. Elena scoffed and rolled her eyes, walking past him.

"Fine." She scolded, Damon hot on her tail.

"Sorry did I just insult your "friends?" He asked, his fingers doing the typical air quotes. Elena sighed, seeing Caroline had left the table they were sat at only a few minutes ago, Elena sat back down.

"They _are_ my friends Damon, just as you are, just as Caroline and Bonnie are." She pointed out.

"Do you kiss all your friends?" He teased, raising his eyebrows. Elena suddenly thought of Dean again and quickly shook her head.

"Don't get all smug with yourself, Damon. How many times do I have to tell you, it meant nothing." She shot back, clearly starting to get annoyed.

"Alright." Damon inhaled deeply, seeing that Elena was getting pissed with his snarky remarks. "I think...Stefan, has passed through Missouri."

"How do you know that?" She asked, crossing her arms on the table, leaning forward a little. Damon thought about the girl killed in her college dorm and quickly shrugged.

"Lets just say it's a hunch." He finally admitted. Elena sighed again, putting her head in her hands.

"Well is there anyway we can go to Missouri? Ask around, maybe someone's seen him."

"No. _We_ aren't going to Missouri." He said, clasping his hands together.

"And why not?"

"Because _you_ are going to stay _here_, whilst _I _go _there_. Comprende?"

"No, Damon. You can't do that." She objected, her brows knitting together. "I'm as much in this as you are, I should come with you."

"Look, this trip will be quicker if I go on my own, alright? If I get anything...I'll call you."

"Whatever I say isn't gonna change your mind about letting me come, is it?" Elena asked, her tongue swiping across her bottom lip.

"Nope. Already got everything arranged, all you need to do...is stay here, out of trouble and wait for my call. Think you can do that?" Damon gave her a smirk.

"God, what is it with everybody patronizing me today?" She wondered aloud, sighing.

"Because you're too easy." He explained, a hand hovering next to her cheek, uncertain if he should brush her hair back or not. He decided against it and dropped his hand down by his side.

"No I'm not." She mumbled.

"Alright Elena." He exhaled loudly, standing up. "I'm leaving later, I'll call you when I get there." He told her, putting a hand on silky, long brown hair. "I promise." He stroked her hair once, feeling Elena tense underneith his hand.

"Alright Damon." Elena replied in a shaky breath. Stefan was sitting across the table from her this time, tutting.

_"Now Damon? Wow your mind is really filled with those two today isn't it?" _He scoffed and disappeared when Elena blinked. Damon half smiled and walked away, leaving her to relax again. She burried her head in her hands, mumbling to herself.

"God I'm gonna go crazy."

* * *

><p>Sam scanned the room, his eyes glancing at the male in his thirties on the autopsy table. He was used to dead bodies by now, but that didn't mean he liked seeing them everyday. The morgue was creepy and extremely quiet with just the two of them in there, not including the deceased. Sam was standing inches away from the cold chambers, the silver doors shining in his peripheral vision, sending a chill up his spine.<p>

"Ryan Manor, age 34, died from drowning..." Dean began, looking at a clipboard. "On his own beer." He finished, looking up from the board surprised.

"Huh. Thats...odd." Sam said, looking down at Ryan Manor on the table infront. "What're these?" He asked, pointing to purple bruises on his chest. Dean looked over the clipboard again, inhaling deeply while he read.

"Doesn't really say anything." He said finally, putting the board down and handing Sam a pair of latex gloves. "Better start your probing."

"Ugh." Sam groaned, pulling the gloves on and pushing on the bruises, his brows knitting together as he felt around. "Hmm, he's definitely broken some ribs." Dean frowned aswell.

"Why does he have broken ribs?" He asked.

"Well, if you were drowning wouldn't you try to find some way off bringing the liquid back up?" He explained, whipping the gloves off and throwing them in the trash can. Dean exhaled loudly in realisation.

"He slammed himself against something hard enough to try and bring up the alcohol."

"Someone obviously didn't want him surviving." Sam sighed, crinkling his nose. "Okay, lets go...the smell is making me want to vomit."

"You do realise we _are_ in a morgue. We're surrounded by dead people." Dean rolled his eyes. "We can't go yet, I want to see how the others died."

"We know how the others died. All, weird...but we have our connection. The meeting, so tomorrow night you and I go talk about our feelings to a bunch of people we don't know." Sam said as he left the room.

"Fine." Dean sighed, following Sam as he shut the door behind himself. "What are we going to do now then?" He asked.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm pretty hungry." They left the building and began the walk across the green.

"Poking corpses has the effect on you. Mystic Grill right there." Dean pointed out.

"I'd rather go back to Elena's, at least then we can rest straight after." Sam explained, yawning to prove his point. Dean clenched his jaw. _Great. This is going to be awkward as hell._

"Okay, sure." Dean said bluntly.

"Or is spending any time with Elena going to be difficult for you?"

"Nope, that's absolutely...fine."

"Good." It took them 20 minutes to walk back to Elena's house. Not a lot of talk was exchanged between them. Only when the passed the ambulance parked outside number 35 did they decide to talk. Sam asked a paramedic what the persons name was and found out it was Grace McCartney.

"She was not messing about this time, I tell ya. Vertical slashes are the hardest to stitch back, that's if she didn't bleed to death," The paramedic explained, tutting. "Such a waste of a young life." Sam thanked the paramedic for the information and headed up the porch steps to Elena's house with Dean.

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><p><strong>Soooooo, I guess that pretty much it. Sorry for shortness, lack of any decent writing and grammar+puncuation. I write this on WordPad 'cause my damn Microsoft doesn't work V_V<strong>


	6. Burnt Out

**Well helloo to the lovely people who read this (if any)...It's been a few months, where I've had to finish school and move onto college WOOP WOOP(!) So in that time I didn't write for this...which is why when I _did_ it was sooooo difficult to get back into :S but anyway! To show I haven't dropped this story...here is the 6th...kinda crappy chapter...enjoy! **

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><p><em>Sam asked a paramedic what the persons name was and found out it was Grace McCartney.<em>

_"She was not messing about this time, I tell ya. Vertical slashes are the hardest to stitch back, that's if she didn't bleed to death," The paramedic explained, tutting. "Such a waste of a young life." Sam thanked the paramedic for the information and headed up the porch steps to Elena's house with Dean._

The night was a long, restless one. With Sam and Dean in the guest bedroom sharing the double bed, facing away from each other. As much as Dean had protested against sharing, Sam had reminded him that it was either that or Dean could go walk across the hall to Elena's room. Dean had shut up.

With it being halfway through Summer, the night air was humid, the sheets getting too hot for their own good and clinging to their bodies. Sam woke up feeling Dean kick him in the shin and trying to push him further over in the bed. It was 4 am.

"You ass." He mumbled to himself as he rose from the bed and padded his way across the bedroom to open a window. Sam pushed the white framed window up with ease, waiting for a cool breeze to sweep over him. Everything outside was still. The trees were motionless. Sam sighed, it was too hot and there wasn't even a breeze outside.

His bare feet made no sound on the wooden flooring as he walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Whilst trying to figure out which door was the one to the bathroom he bumped into Elena.

"My bad...Sorry Elena." He apologised as she jumped out of her skin.

"Thats fine Sam. Couldn't sleep either?" She asked, clearing her throat and crossing her arms across her chest, feeling conscious of her tank top and pj shorts.

"Kinda hard with a baby elephant sleeping next to you." He smiled. Elena laughed.

"Yeah I know what you mean, I could hardly sleep last ti-" She bit her lip, thinking over her sentence and turned a light shade of red. She was thankful that it was too dark to see.

"Well, anyway...You think you could point me to the bathroom? I don't want to accidentally walk in on Jeremy's room."

"Definitely not a good thing." She smiled and pointed Sam to the bathroom. He thanked her and went in, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.

Elena had woken up from a nightmare. Another one about Stefan. It was the 3rd time this week and she was getting pretty tired of it. It was always the same dream. She'd catch him feeding from an innocent girl, only for her to become the meal the next second. Elena had to admit she was feeling slightly safer this night, more than any other, with the Winchesters in the bedroom next door. Sam exited the bathroom and stopped, watching Elena and frowning.

"Elena? Everything okay?" His voice filled with concern. She shook her head and smiled.

"Yeah, sorry...Just thinking about Grace McCartney. People just seem to be dropping like flies nowadays."

"Sure seems that way." Sam exhaled loudly. "Goodnight Elena." He walked past her and back into the bedroom.

"Time to go get some sleep...hopefully." She mumbled with a sigh, creeping quietly back to her bedroom.

* * *

><p>Red candles flickered in the dark room, the soft glowing, yellow orbs providing the only source of light. The candles reflected in the blood drawn pentagram on the floor.<p>

"Everybody join hands." A woman with auburn hair ordered. The others in the circle around the pentagram clasped hands, closing their eyes. In unison they began to chant.

_"__Guardians of life, shadows of death, we summon thee."_ A picture of a tall man in his 30's sat in the middle of the circle, along with a piece of a torn checked shirt and a toothbrush. The women in the circle continued their chant.

Joshua Brooks had left The Grill at around 2 in the morning after being forced out on his ass. He had been wandering the streets for a few hours now and hadn't seemed to notice that it was 4am and he was completely lost. He stopped to take in his surroundings and lit one of his cigarettes. Running a hand through his brown-y, blonde hair and sighed before taking a long drag on the cigarette.

The woman with auburn hair withdrew a sharp blade from behind her and in a swift movement, made a slice across the life line on her palm. The drops of blood falling onto the picture of Joshua Brooks from the centre of the pentagram.

Joshua wiped a sweaty hand onto his dirty blue work shirt, having searched endlessly for his best checked shirt before heading out and finding it ripped up, he was left pissed off and wearing his roadwork shirt.

"Shit!" He hissed, as the ash from his cigarette fell onto his bare arm.

The circle of people continued their incantation in Latin as the auburn haired woman dropped more blood onto the shirt piece and toothbrush. The candle flames grew bigger as she tipped a bowl of dark liquid onto the three objects, soaking them. The woman picked up one of the red candles, tipping it to ignite the shirt, wax dripping onto the face of Joshua's picture.

Joshua brushed his arm where the ash had hit, causing a horrible stinging sensation. He shook his head and went to take another drag when more ash fell onto his shirt, burning a hole through the fabric and onto his skin. He shrieked loudly, dropping his cigarette as his skin seemed to suddenly ignite, as if he were covered in lighter fluid. The flames consumed his chest as he tried to put the fire out but it continued to spread over his body as the flames grew bigger. His skin sizzling and burning as his clothes melted into his skin. Joshua dropped to his knees in pain as his hair burnt away and his entire body was engulfed by bright, orange heat. He fell to the floor...still burning.

The incantation came to a stop as they all watched the shirt, toothbrush and picture wither inside the flames and turn to ash.

* * *

><p>"Time of death?" Sam asked, looking over the burnt corpse of Joshua Brooks. The Winchesters had woken up relatively early to hear sirens wailing down the streets. They threw on their suits and hurried after the noise in the Impala, without giving a second thought about breakfast.<p>

"I'd say around...4...4:15 this morning, he's been burning for a while. I'm surprised nobody smelt him." The coroner replied, turning up his nose as he continued to write things down on clipboard.

"Any evidence showing how this fire started?" Dean questioned, stepping carefully around the body. He bent down, sighing loudly. The body was a mess, no question about it. They weren't even given an identity yet, if there were any I.D cards or information of any sort on this person, it had melted away with the rest of their skin, they were going to have to wait until the coroner brought the corpse back for an autopsy.

Sam's eyes scanned the floor and found the end of a cigarette.

"My bets are on that." He said, nodding to it. Dean looked over and saw it.

"You're kidding right? The amount of people I've seen smoking and have never caught fire from it," Dean shook his head. "That doesn't make sense Sam."

"When does anything make sense?" He asked. "We've seen stranger. Lets just wait to find out who this person is and then...move on from there." Dean stood up, moving the plastic covering back over the corpse.

"Gotta call come in 'round an hour ago from a Taylor Brooks , her husband Joshua was out drinkin' last night and never came back." The coroner said, "My guess is that's Joshua Brooks." Sam and Dean looked at one another, Sam quirking an eyebrow.

"Thanks, can you tell us Mrs Brooks address please? We'd rather tell her the bad news now." Dean explained.

The Winchesters left the street soon after, making their way to Taylor Brooks' house.

"It just doesn't make sense Sam, people don't just combust!" Dean exclaimed, the tight grip on the steering wheel turning his knuckles white.

"_I_ know that Dean, but his death is connected to the others I know that for sure. The heart attack, mowed down by a Buick, drowned on beer, slit wrists and now burning alive." He counted each one off on his fingers "Each of these are things are like...weird...coincidental accidents." Sam's brow furrowed as he thought back. "Do you remember...when we found out that Ruby used to be a witch when she was human?"  
>"Wow Sammy, you still got psycho bitch on the brain hmm?" Dean retorted.<p>

"Shut up. The group of witches...do you remember? One of them made that womans teeth fall out, tried to kill her husband with a dodgy burger? When we found the witch she'd had her wrists slit in the exact same way as Grace McCartney." Dean took in a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Did you see any hex bags at Grace McCartney's house?"

"We didn't exactly sear-" Sam was cut off short by Dean.

"Did you see any signs of a hex bag back there on Mr Crispy Brooks?" Dean asked.

"Well...No, but that could've burnt up with him."

"Look Sam, lets just go to the guys house and ask his wife. If he's been going to those meetings as well as the other...then I guess you and I are talking about our feelings tonight." Sam went quiet and nodded slowly.

"You're right. We'll find out soon enough."

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><p><strong>Yup...see what I mean, this is pretty much a chapter to get going again...hense the short...crappyness *shrug* <strong>


	7. Hot Headed

**_Wellll Hi folks! Like I've said before...writing is a bitch for me atm, with college grinding my gears and trying to find inspiration...It's proving difficult to write these :S I hope people are still actually interested in these._**

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><p><em>"Did you see any signs of a hex bag back there on Mr Crispy Brooks?" Dean asked.<em>

_"Well...No, but that could've burnt up with him."_

_"Look Sam, let's just go to the guys house and ask his wife. If he's been going to those meetings as well as the other...then I guess you and I are talking about our feelings tonight." Sam went quiet and nodded slowly. _

_"You're right. We'll find out soon enough."_

* * *

><p>"Same as always Ric," Damon replied, his cell phone on loud speaker. "Even more sorority girls, piling up. Definitely work of the Ripper." He hated calling Stefan that, but it was the only appropriate word choice he could pick after seeing what he'd done in Missouri. The sorority girls' bedroom was splattered in blood and the girls' throats had been ripped out. No way had Stefan managed all of that on his own. Alaric sighed, taking a sip from his cup of coffee.<p>

"Alright Damon, are you on your way back now?" He asked.

"On my way now, just in time to watch the Winchesters screw up around town." Damon said with a smirk. He was driving his blue Camaro through the night, after having spoken to Elena the previous day he had decided to leave straight away. He decided that the sooner he got to Missouri the sooner he got back. Damon licked his lips, thinking about how distant Elena had been with him.

"You and I both know Damon, that the Winchesters are a good help to us."

"Yeah...okay then Ric." Damon retorted, biting the inside of his cheek, thinking about Elena once again. "How's Elena doing?" He asked quietly.

"She's doing okay, I guess…But she's quiet, or _has_ been quiet for the past few days." Damon frowned as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel.

"My thoughts exactly," He cleared his throat, looking out at the vast landscape before him. It would take him hours before he got back to Mystic Falls. "Clearly she's just worried about Stefan."  
>"Yeah, maybe. Call me when you get here." Alaric hung up, gulping back the rest of his coffee. Damon pressed end on his cell phone and ran a hand through his raven black hair. He pressed a button on his stereo, the radio blared through his speakers.<p>

* * *

><p>"You've <em>got<em> to be freakin' kidding me!" Dean hissed as he ripped the same, familiar, A4 piece of orange paper off of Brooks' kitchen refrigerator. "That's it Sammy, I guess we really have to go talk about feelings and problems to a bunch of strangers." Dean's tone was laced with heavy sarcasm.

"Comes along with part of the job, Dean." Sam pointed out as they made their way back into the living room to a heavily crying Taylor Brooks. She has been crying endlessly after the news of her husband's death. Sam smiled reassuringly as he crouched in front of her. "I'm very sorry for your loss Mrs Brooks, if you think of any information that you think might be vital to this investigation call this number." He placed a card onto the coffee table besides him.

They quickly left after that, Dean tugging at the knot of his stripped red tie.

"What's the time?" He asked quietly as they approached the Impala. Sam frowned and looked at his watch.

"It's almost 11:30; we can't do anything else until tonight." Sam stated, climbing into the passenger seat of the Impala.

"I'm stopping back at Elena's house, switch out of these monkey suits and then we can go check out the previous crime scenes." Dean explained. The engine roaring to life as he pulled away from the sidewalk and made a U-turn, speeding back in the direction of Elena's house.

"To check for hex bags?" Sam asked, looking at Dean.

"To check for hex bags." Dean repeated.

"Everything okay Dean?" Sam furrowed his brow, continuing to watch Dean intently.

"I'm fine; it just seems to me that whoever is doing this is getting _way_ too many kicks out of these people dying." Dean shook his head, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "First it was the heart attack, then slow getting more violent…the run down, that guy drowning on his own freakin' beer, the slit wrist and _now_ this other guy just randomly bursts into flames?!" He clenched the steering wheel to stop his hands from shaking with anger.

"Dean. You need to calm down okay? Getting angry over this isn't going to save anybody else. Think rationally about this." Sam advised, watching Dean's body slowly come out of its tense position. "I can have you getting too hot headed on this case Dean. We'll find the thing responsible for all of this."

"Alright, alright fine." Dean nodded, letting out a loud exhale.

* * *

><p>Elena was in the kitchen, still making breakfast. The Winchesters had cleared out pretty early, earlier than Elena was used to waking up. She'd heard the sirens though, wailing loudly through the street. But she'd been so exhausted from the restless night's sleep that she had fallen asleep again. Jeremy had woken her up with a towel thrown to her face.<p>

"Move your butt, lazy bones." Jeremy said playfully with a grin. Elena stretched, throwing the covers off of her and pulling the curtains apart. After taking a cold shower and getting dressed into a loose, long sleeved, white cotton shirt and denim shorts, she went downstairs to make something to eat.

Elena was frying bacon when the Winchesters strolled into the kitchen, taking off their suit jackets.

"Ugh, Elena you're a star." Dean grinned as he watched her plate up the food. He took the plate, sitting down at the kitchen table. Sam was pouring himself a cup of coffee when Elena spoke.

"So…Who died this time?" She asked quietly.

"Joshua Brooks," Sam replied, taking a seat besides Dean. "I think we should check out Grace McCartney's house first, seeing as it's the closest to us and is going to be unoccupied, seeing as the police are all over this new death." He explained. Elena frowned and watched them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why're you going to check Grace's house?" She questioned, looking between Sam sipping at his coffee and Dean scrapping his knife and fork as he continued eating the contents of his breakfast.

"Sam thinks witches might be behind this," Dean said with a mouthful of food. "So we're going to look for hex bags." Elena's eyebrows rose.

"Witches? That's not possible; the only witch I know is Bonnie. She's not likely to be behind this." She explained, trying to convince them.

"Doesn't mean there aren't others in town Elena." Dean shot back, his voice sour. Elena frowned.

"Don't pay attention to him Elena; he's been like this since he woke up." Sam said, standing up and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. "I'm going to get changed, play nice kiddies." He joked, walking into the hallway and up the stairs. Elena looked over at Dean just as he finished his food.

"Did it even touch the sides?" She asked.

"Course it did." He smirked, standing up and moving past her to the sink.

"That was rhetorical."

"I know that." He cleared his throat, looking her over. "I better get changed too." He turned to walk into the hallway when Elena stopped him.

"Can I help you?"

"What?" He asked with a frown.

"Can I help you look for these "hex bags"?" She inquired. Dean laughed.

"You're joking right?" Her face was serious. "No…you're not going to help us Elena." He said bluntly.

"It's not like I'm asking to help you do something dangerous am I?"

"You're not helping us Elena. _Anything_ you do with us isn't safe."

"I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me Dean." Elena replied, taking a step closer to him. "Please, let me help you out." She pleaded. Dean looked into her chocolate brown eyes, he couldn't say no to those eyes. He sighed, licking his lips and looked away.

"Fine. But that is the _only _thing you're helping us out with. Got it?" Dean asked, making sure she was absolutely positive that she knew he wasn't going to let her get into harm's way. She nodded.

"I understand. Thank you Dean." She smiled softly, nodding towards the stairs. "You better get changed." Dean nodded and headed up the stairs after Sam, only to find him listening in.

"So you're letting Elena help us?" Sam asked, holding back a grin.

"Shut up." Dean grumbled, pushing past him.

"I'll take that as a yes." He laughed.

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><p><strong>This is very short, and for that I'm sorry! :( Forgive me? ^_^ <strong>


	8. Bambi

_**Sooooo...I have ideas for this...they just aren't panning out well when it comes to writing it. Actually...writing is proving difficult as well, so I'm sorry this chapter is short...but I wanted to post something after such a long time. Thank you to everyone that is still reading, you're awesome.**_

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><p><em>"Fine. But that is the only thing you're helping us out with. Got it?" Dean asked, making sure she was absolutely positive that she knew he wasn't going to let her get into harm's way. She nodded.<em>

"_I understand. Thank you Dean." She s__miled softly, nodding towards the stairs. "You better get changed." Dean nodded and headed up the stairs after Sam, only to find him listening in._

"_So you're letting Elena help us?" Sam asked, holding back a grin._

"_Shut up." Dean grumbled, pushing past him. _

"_I'll take that as a yes." He laughed._

* * *

><p>Sam stepped underneath the yellow police tape draped across Grace McCartney's front door. The first thing to gain his attention were the dried pools of blood and white taped out outline of where Grace's body lay before, these were the only clear indications of a police investigation ever taken place inside the house.<p>

Sam pursed his lips thoughtfully, his gaze scanning the contents around the room for anything strange or out of place. He heard Dean shuffle in behind him followed by Elena. Sam had found it extremely amusing that Dean had given in so easily to her. The bat of her eyelashes and Dean was weak at the knees.

"You check everywhere you understand Elena? Under sinks, tables, couches, even the damn walls. Witches are crafty bitches. You got me?" Dean said, his tone serious. Sam could tell Dean wasn't pleased to have her here.

"I'm not stupid Dean." Elena huffed, stepping around him and stopping dead when she saw the blood. She gulped. "Oh." Elena squeaked quietly. Dean shot her a deadpan expression.

"Uh, Elena you can go check in the kitchen." Sam instructed quickly, hoping to get Dean and Elena away from each other if only for a few minutes. Sam began to scan a tall book shelf. Elena's eyes met Dean's green ones, waiting for his approval for her to go looking. He nodded once and watched her proceed into the kitchen, cautiously looking around the small room.

"What's got yours panties in a bunch?" Sam mumbled as he crouched down to check the small space beneath the book shelf. He smiled when he heard Dean grunt quietly to himself.

"Nothing. I'm just peachy." He let out a ragged breath and shook his head. He pushed the couch aside to check the floor beneath. "Just finding dust bunnies here Sam-" Dean stopped himself mid-sentence. "-Oh a quarter." He bent to pick the money up. When he looked back up Sam's forehead was creased in slight annoyance. "What?" Dean asked innocently as Sam rolled his eyes.

"Would you just-…Can't you please-" Sam sighed and shook his head. "Hex bags Dean." He simply said and returned to the task at hand. "I'm going to check another room." Sam explained, stepping out of the living room into the hallway.

* * *

><p>5 minutes later and Dean still couldn't find anything; he'd turned the living room upside down.<p>

"I got nothing." He said, walking into the kitchen to find Elena's butt facing in his direction, the rest of her body hidden in the cupboard under the sink. Dean cleared his throat. "Uh, Elena what're you doing?" He asked.

"You said to look under the sink…so I am."

"Yeah I can see that." He tried to look any other place else than straight at her behind, he wasn't successful.

"So then don't ask stupid questions." She replied sarcastically. She was still rummaging around when Sam entered the room.

"I can't find anything." He admitted with a sigh. Sam saw Dean watching Elena's behind wiggle as she moved stuff aside. "I see this is as far as _you_ got with the searching." Dean had to tear his eyes away to process what Sam was saying to him.

"Sorry, what?" Sam chuckled quietly in disbelief.

"You…staring at Elena's ass as if you hadn't eaten in 2 weeks and it was the first apple pie you'd seen in miles." He joked quietly afraid Elena would hear the banter between them, he watched Dean look back over.

"I'll have you know…I'm coaching her through it." He shrugged.

"Right, of course you are."

"Are you two done?" Elena asked, throwing a small brown bag onto the table. "Is this what we were looking for?" Dean raised his eyebrows, trying not to give off how impressed he was with her finding the hex bag so quickly.

"Yeah that's it." Sam picked it up turning it over in his hand before untying it. Animal bones, an old coin and a piece of cloth, which Sam guessed was acquired from one of Grace's items of clothing.

"I've said it before, I'll say it again…Witches are disgusting." Dean said with a shiver.

"I told you it was witches." Sam smirked.

"Yeah whatever, bitch." Dean retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Jerk." Sam placed the bag inside his pocket, walking back out to the front door.

"So…now what are we going to do?" Elena questioned as she followed them outside, shutting the door behind her.

"Sam and I are going to the counselling group. It's the most reliable lead we have so far." Dean explained, strolling out ahead.

"And what am I going to do?" She asked. This made Dean stop walking and turn to her.

"You 'Lena, are going to go back home and keep out of trouble. You and I both know trouble follows you around a lot." He hurried towards the Impala. "C'mon Sammy." Sam gave Elena a sympathetic smile and shrugged.

"Sorry Elena…Deans orders." He cast a glance a Dean; he was by the driver's door his clasped hands resting on the roof. Elena's forehead creased in annoyance. She was starting to hate being classed under 'Much more trouble than it's worth'. She wasn't that useless.

"That's not fair." She argued.

"I don't care Elena, it's not happening." Dean began. "That look isn't going to work either." Elena's eyebrow rose and Sam laughed.

"What look?" She asked with a heavy frown, crossing her arms and stepping closer to the car.

"You get pouty and go all big brown doe eyes on me." Dean explained, his hand motioning towards her. "I don't need Bambi getting hurt because I made a dumb ass decision." He tried to make the last sentence sound angrier than it was meant to. Dean didn't need to emasculate himself. Instead of arguing back Elena just stood quietly for a few moments.

"Did you just call me Bambi?" Elena asked, biting back a smile. Dean's eyes narrowed and he shook his head, rubbing his hand harshly over his mouth. They both seemed to be completely oblivious of Sam who was still standing awkwardly between them and the car, watching them bicker back and forth. He climbed into the passenger seat, the door creaking as it opened and closed.

"Elena." Dean's tone was warning. "You can't come with us…I'm sorry but that's the way it is. Now will you _please_ go home?" Elena looked down and nodded.

"I'll see you later." She mumbled, walking past the car and up the front yard to her house. Dean groaned, the ball of his palm rubbing his forehead as he got into the car.

"You piss her off?" Sam asked nonchalant. Dean inhaled deeply, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"Yeah probably."

"You do realise she won't listen to you right?"

"Yeah Sammy, I know that."

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><p><em><strong>Dean humour was needed after the depressing previous chapters...staring at asses seemed to work ;) Plus...Dealena are my OTP, I can't have them angsty all the time. Everyone happy with the idea of me working more Dealena into this? As well as having Damon in there of course. Jeez this is gonna end up longer than the chapter itself haha. Thank you for any of the reviews I recieve . <strong>_


	9. Addicted to Pie

**_WEELLLL...it's been a while huh? I'm SO very sorry about that! But when you're in a writing slump...it just sorta...happens *shrug* I haven't updated this since back in December! So I had to rectify that now :D_**

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><p>"<em>You piss her off?" Sam asked nonchalant. Dean inhaled deeply, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.<em>

"_Yeah probably." _

"_You do realise she won't listen to you right?" _

"_Yeah Sammy, I know that."_

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><p>Plain wooden chairs sat facing each other in a large circle at the front of the church of Mystic Falls. The pews having been pushed back a few feet to make more room for the newest members of the counselling group. The humid heat of the day had descended into a cool breeze of the night, that rustled in the trees. At the head of the circle sat a middle aged woman, wearing a long flowing green skirt and patterned top. Her dark auburn hair was piled up on her head in a messy bun, strands falling down around her oval face. Honey coloured eyes scanned the group around her. There were the usuals, and the not so usuals. She stopped on the newest pair of members who were sat between a pair of woman who just so happened to be slightly more attractive than the rest of the group. Flirtatious smiles passed between them.<p>

"Welcome friends, another meeting, another chance to help one another. I'm Katie, for those of you who don't already know. Through this meeting I shall be helping you accept your problems and then dealing with them. Here no one will judge or criticise." Katie paused to look at the circle of faces, some admiring her, others clearly bored. She forced her smile wider. Clearing her throat as she continued. "Why don't we kick off this meeting by introducing out newest members?" Her palm outstretched towards the two men, now facing her direction. The first, a tall, shaggy brown haired man with soft features, cleared his throat.

"Well...my name is Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean." Sam tilted his head sideways in the second man's direction who's attention was taken by the petite blonde sitting next to him. Short, dirty blonde hair with sharper looking features. And freckles. He had light, barely noticeable freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose. "Dean." Sam elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Ooow!" Dean turned and glared at Sam. "Jackass." He mumbled. Katie looked between the pair of them, her eyebrows raised.

"Right...okay, so...how can I help you here? What is it that is causing problems in your life?"

"You see my brother has an...unusual problem to say the least. Right Dean?"  
>"Oh, yeah. Right." Dean cleared his throat. "You see uh, Katie...I'm addicted to pie...just can't stop thinking about it." Katie's forehead creased momentarily. This had to be a joke. Sure she'd heard a lot of weird addictions that people confessed. But this was surely a joke.<p>

"You're...addicted to_ pie_?" She repeated. Dean nodded sincerely.

"Yup, mornin', noon and night...can't go without it. Even had dreams about it." Sam rubbed his head, suppressing a sigh.

"Well...uh Dean, I guess we'll see how things go. I'll try my best to help you." Katie's smile felt as if it would split soon enough.

"Thank you Katie. My brother would really appreciate it, it's running havoc on his life." Dean looked at Sam, slapping him hard on the shoulder. "Right brother?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Right." Sam confirmed, holding back a wince. Dean just smiled politely back at Katie.

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><p>Elena stood waiting outside of the Salvatore's house, her foot tapping impatiently as she waited for Damon. All day she'd been pacing her house, waiting for an idea to come to her. She couldn't let Dean tell her what to do. As much as a controlling Dean appealed to Elena. She pinched her hand, hard. No thoughts about Dean. She had finally called the one person she that she knew would help her, no matter what the task.<p>

Damon was smirking ear to ear when he finally showed up.

"You can wipe that smirk off your face if you want to help me." Elena demanded as she straightened up and zipped up her white leather jacket. The summer days were hot and stifling, but tonight, unlike the others in the past week, was strangely chilly. Damon grinned and raised his hands defensively.

"You called _me_ Elena, so I can leave if I really wanted to."

"Fine. Then leave." Elena shrugged as she started walking back down the driveway.

"And miss all this fun and excitement? I don't think so." Damon smirked again, hot on her heels.

"This isn't about fun and excitement Damon. I want to be apart of this thing as much as Bert and Ernie are." She crossed her arms over her chest, exhaling loudly.

"Awwhh so the Winchesters wouldn't let you play with them?" He had caught up to Elena's side now and was heading towards the church with her.

"Shut up Damon." She clenched her jaw and shook her head.

"That's rather mean of them isn't it? Just leaving you to sit at home whilst they get all the fun." Elena wasn't looking at him but she could tell his smirk was getting bigger and bigger. She stopped in her tracks and turned to him.

"They just wanted me to be safe."

"Oh yeah, they're doing a fantastic job letting you out and about with me."

"Just...shut up Damon. Shut up."

"How is Dean by the way? You two seem to get on like a house on fire." He couldn't stop himself from letting out a laugh.

"I'm not listening to you."

"That's _very _mature of you Elena."

"Just as mature as you can be Damon." She smirked back at him sarcastically.

"Wow bitchy Elena is out to play as well." He grinned.

"Only when you're around she is." Elena retorted back, shaking her head.

"Must be my amazing charm." Damon smirked and leaned in closer to her ear. "I know how much you love that." Elena's hand swatted round and slapped his shoulder.

"Leave it out Damon."

"Fine...I'll just keep my mouth shut until I'm told otherwise."

"Good."

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><p>Dean had been eyeing up the group members as Katie went through each of them one by one. All with extremely boring or strange confessions. He had been close to falling asleep at least twice now, each time his head dropped Sam would stomp his heel on his foot. Dean biting back a yelp as he done so. They didn't notice anything strange yet. It just seemed like any other counselling group. Sam cleared his throat, earning Katie's attention.<p>

"Yes Sam?" She smiled.

"Could you excuse me while I use the bathroom?" He asked politely. Katie nodded and pointed in the direction of the bathroom before turning back to the person she was talking to about their anorexia. Dean's eyebrows raised as his green eyes widened.

"You're not leaving me here." He hissed at Sam.

"I'm not the one with the...uh, pie addiction." Sam said as rose from his chair, a smirk forming on his lips. Dean jabbed a finger at him.

"Don't you _dare_! You can't expect me to sit here and listen to the rest of this do you?!" Dean was slowly inching off of his seat.

"That's _exactly_ what I expect you to do." Sam grinned, patting him on the shoulder and hurrying away from the circle and out through a wooden door to the side. Dean shifted on his chair, fighting the urge to storm after him.

Sam headed along the hallway towards the bathroom, finding several unimportant rooms along the way. Nothing that pointed towards any witch rituals. He sighed loudly, planning on turning around and heading back to the circle. Sam spotted the wooden stairs at the last moment, he hadn't realised there was an upstairs.

He crept up them quietly and carefully, afraid that they would give way from beneath his weight. Sam stepped out into the open area of the second floor which overlooked the rest of the church. From here he could see Dean's sullen face and crossed arms. Sam grinned and shook his head, taking a look around the space.

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><p>Damon and Elena had entered the church from the back exit. She knew that Sam and Dean would be in there somewhere, possibly even attending the council group. The first few rooms were a bust, a quick search through followed by a snidey remake from Damon. They reached the end of the hallway, cracking open the door an inch to glance out into the church. The group were listening intently to the red haired woman standing in the middle. Dean was easily spotted amongst them all. He looked clearly pissed off about something and that made Elena laugh. The seat next to him was empty, Sam wasn't with him. She frowned and shut the door quietly.<p>

"Any sign of Riggs and Murtaugh?" Damon asked with a smirk. Elena frowned and looked back at him as she ascended the stairs.

"What?"

"Riggs and Murtaugh...Have you even watched '_Lethal Weapon_'?"

"Can't say I have Damon." She shot back with a sigh.

"You are unbelievable." He shook his head and followed her. "I bet you know who Pinky and the Brain are though."

"Of course."

"_Unbelievable!_" He rolled his eyes. Elena was startled when she heard a noise from behind the closed door at the top of the stairs. For reasons unknown to Elena, her heart began racing and she could feel her adrenaline start to pump. She wanted, no..._Needed_ to find out what was there. This was the excitement she needed but Dean had denied. She didn't even care that Damon could hear her heart beating frantically. Elena pushed open the door, waiting for something to jump out at her.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed as quietly as he could to not draw attention to themselves.

"Sam!" Elena almost shouted back. She sighed loudly and stepped out of the way to let Damon past.

"Oh look, we found Murtaugh." Damon said with a grin. Sam raised an eyebrow and Elena glared.

"Elena what are you doing here? Dean told you to stay at home."

"Yeah well...that didn't really pan out too well." Elena said, shrugging. Sam scoffed and shook his head. He really should have placed a bet with Dean.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Okay, so not the most exciting chapter ever but it's my way of easing back into it. I think I'm slightly rusty! It's been waaaay too long since I last wrote anything and this has taken me a freakin' loooong time to finish as well D: I just hope that whoever is still reading this is still enjoying :D<strong>_


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